RESIDENT ARRESTED AFTER FIRE DESTROYS HOUSE

A house at the base of Mount Helix was destroyed Friday in a two-alarm blaze, and a resident was later arrested on suspicion of reckless burning of property, La Mesa police said.

The resident, Jackson Pavlicek, 31, is accused of extinguishing a cigarette in the backyard, causing dry brush to catch fire. The blaze then spread to the house.

Pavlicek and two other residents fled unharmed from the house on Dillon Drive near Bancroft Drive, which was surrounded by trees and thick brush. They were contacted by La Mesa police a short distance away, police Lt. Ray Sweeney said.

Pavlicek was booked into county jail Friday night.

Pushed by strong westerly winds, embers reached the yards of six other houses, but firefighters were able to keep them from igniting anything, Heartland Fire & Rescue Chief Rick Sitta said. He said firefighters “did a fantastic job.”

It was first thought that the roof of a neighboring house was burned, but what was thought to be charring turned out to be pine needles, Sitta said.

Next-door neighbor Chris Adams, who had just picked up sons Connor and Matthew from school, said he heard several small explosions coming from the residence.

He said the flames were intense.

Heartland was assisted by firefighters from San Diego, Cal Fire and Santee, spokesman Sonny Saghera said.

Susan Shroder • U-T

Authorities raid Poway indoor marijuana farm, jail couple

Poway

Two men and a woman believed to be running a marijuana delivery service were jailed after authorities raided a suspected pot farm inside a rented Poway home Friday morning, the Sheriff’s Department said.

Investigators suspect the home was also the site of a potentially explosive laboratory used to extract oils from marijuana.

About 7:30 a.m., authorities raided the rented home on Acton Avenue, north of Bowdoin Road, on the city’s east end, Lt. Harold Turner said.

Narcotics Task Force members seized 230 marijuana plants and about 20 pounds of processed marijuana, worth about $750,000 on the street, Turner said.